Ring-roll for leather-splitting machines.



0. P. O'BRIEN.

RING ROLL FOR LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINES. APPLICATION mm NOV. 26. 1915.

1,183,758. Patented May16, 1916. L

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THE COLUMBIA PMNOGRAPH :0. WASHINGTON, D. C

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D. P. OBRIEN.

RING ROLL FOR LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION man NOV. 26, 1915.

Patented May 16, 1916.

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D. P. O'BRIEN.

RING R0 LL FOR LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26. I915.

Patented May16, 1916.

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DANIEL P1 OBRIEN', OF WQBURN, MASSACI-IUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WOBURN MACHINE COMPANY, OF WOBU'BN, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

RING-ROLL Fon- LEATHEa-srnm'rms MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent Pa tehtd -ltigfylfi, 1916 Application filed November 2 1915.. Serial No. 63,395.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL P. OBRIE a citizen of the United States, residing at lVoburn, in the county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Ring-Rolls for Leather-Splitting Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention is applicable to machines for splitting leather or other sheet-material,

. although in part it is not restricted to use in such machines.

It comprises an improvement in ring-rolls on the general order of the ring-roll of my U. S. Letters Patent No. 7 33,264, dated July 7, 1908, and an improvementin the means for movably supporting the rubber roll of a machine of the said class.

The first feature of the invention consists in improved driving connections between the ring-sections and the ring-roll shaft, adapted to serve in driving the former from the latter, or vice versa, positively while leav ing the ring-sections free to accommodate themselves to variations inthe thickness of the material operated upon. The second feature of the invention is designed to obviate trouble when the rubber roll is shifted from its normal position and then restored thereto. e

Embodiments of the features of the invention are shown in the drawings, in which latter,

Figure lshows in vertical section certain of the parts of a splitting machine to which the features of-my invention have been applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of'certain' parts at one end of the said machine. Fig. 3 is a plan view of most of the parts that are shown in Fig. 2. F 4: is an elevation of portions of the ring-roll, partly separated from one another andon alarger scale than Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Fig. 5 shows the said por tions of. the ring-roll in longitudinal 'secof the collarsor buttons ofth e" ring-roll.

Fig. 10 is a view in section in the plane. indlcated by line 1010 of Fig. 9. Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are views showing modifications of the key-seats and keys of the ring-roll Shaft.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows portions of the frame 1 of a leather splitting machine. It represents in vertical section the table 2 upon which the'leather a, or other material, to be split rests as it is'fe'd to the splitting devices, and it shows also in vertical section'the gage-roll 3, the ring-roll, the rubber-roll 4 which backs upthe ringroll, a portion of the band-knife 5, and the guide-bars 6, 7,for the upper run of the band-knife. In addition, it shows in elevation a portion of the band-knife pulley or wheel 8 at one end of the machine. The said figure includes, further, various accessory features, some ofwhich are mentioned hereinafter. Theleading portion of the material a is represented therein as having been split into the upper and lower portions a}, a Certain of theparts just namedfare shown in Figs. 2 and?) also, together-with drhving gearing for the rubber-roll and ringro I I will describe first the ring-roll and'the features of invention which Ihave embodied therein, as shown in Figs. #1 to 10. Each section or ring 9 of the ring-roll is provided with an internal flange 9 Figs. 5, 6, and 7," having a central eye 9 to accommodate the shaft '10 of the ring-roll; eye is enough larger in diameter than the necessary or deemed advisable in'practice. I provlde posltive driving connections be- The said central.

tween therings and the shaft 10 05311011 character and construction that they do not interfere with the capacity of the rings'for independent radial movement. The said connections include coupling collars ,orI buttons 11', 11,etc., which are mountedupon shaft 10 within the inclosure of the annularo'r shell-like portions of the rings, The eye of each of the said collars or buttons fits the shaft and'is formed with :a key-seatll Figs. 9 and 10, which fits a key 12 carried by the shaft. By means of the key 12 the coupling-collar or button is prevented from turning upon the shaft and is compelled to turn in unison therewith.

To provide for the positive driving engagement between the respective rings and the respective collars or buttons 9, 9, etc., each ring is furnished with teeth or projectio-ns 9, 9, 9 shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, projecting laterally from the'internal flange 9 of the ring and each collar or but- 1 other the ring will be driven by means of the collar or button from the ring-roll shaft, or vice versa, and the looseness of the engagement will permit a certain amount of angular play of the ring around the shaft.

Preferably, each coupling-collar or button is fixed in position lengthwise of the shaft 10 by means of a clamping screw 13, Fig. 5. To hold the corresponding ring from movement in one direction along the shaft, the ends of the lateral teeth or projections 11, 11, are arranged to engage with. the inner face of the internal flange 9 of the ring. Movement of the rings in the other direction along the shaft is limited by means of a collar or button 11 fixed upon the shaft at the extreme end of the series in that direction, and by the contact of the marginal portion of one ring with that of the next. The collars or buttons space the rings apart in proper working relationship, and prevent tipping ofthe rings. By preventing the rings from tipping as heretofore has occurred in consequence of irregularities in. the material passing the ring-roll, the

production of ring-marks in the material is prevented. I

Preferably, asshown by Fig. 8, I employ individual or separate keys 12, 12, etc., for the respective collars or buttons, and form in shaft 10 a single continuous groove or key-seat 12 to receive all of the said keys. The reason for the employment of individual keys is the fact that from time to time during use it becomes necessary to remove the ring-sections from the roll-shaft, and to redress the peripheries and sides of the sections, more particularly the side of each which is next the narrow shell or annulus of the next adjoining section. In redressing the sides of the disks, the length of each is slightly diminished, so that when the parts are assembled on the roll-shaft once more, the total length of the sectional body of the rollis slightly less than it was at first. The use of individual keys enables them to be applied to the roll shaft at the points corresponding with the necessary positions of the ring-sections, thereby compensating for the reduction in the widths of the ring-sections.

Reference has been made to the employment of a single continuous groove or keyseat. Instead thereof a number of short grooves or key-seats 12 12 Fig. 11 may be employed, and I may in some cases form in the roll-shaft a separate groove or key-seat 12 for each ring-section. I contemplate in some cases the employment of a separate pin 12", Fig. 12, for each collar or button, made fast in the roll-shaft and projecting radially therefrom to enter a transverse groove formed in the eye of the collar or button. I may employ a single key 12 Fig. 13, long enough for the entire series of collars or buttons and ring-sections, and cut or file away portions thereof as at 12 between the successive collars or buttons. The intervening spaces between successive keys or key-sections accommodate the internal flanges of the ring-sections and permit free diametrical movement of the ring-sections.

The collars or buttons 11, 11, etc., with their teeth or projections, constitute in effect clutch-members that are connected'fixedly with shaft 10, and the ring-sections with their engaging teeth or projections constitute in effect other clutch-members, the one set coacting with the other. By having all the collars or buttons keyed to the rollshaft 10 every ring is furnished with separate positive clutch-connections with such shaft. Thereby, when a ring tends to lag it will be driven positively from the shaft; should the surface speed of the rubber roll not be great enough relatively, every ring is adapted to assist in turning the rubber roll; every ring is adapted to assist the rubber roll in turning the roll-shaft and the series of rings.

Referring now to the second feature of the invention, and more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3 the rubber-roll has fixed upon its shaft a spur-pinion 14 meshing with a spurpinion 15 free to turn on a stud 16 supported conveniently in connection with the machine framework. Thereby a sleeve 17 mounted upon said stud with capacity to turn freely thereon is rotated from the rubber roll. The sleeve 17 is a member of a train of helper-gearing intermediate the rubber roll and the ring-roll shaft. Such helper-gearing is intended to rotate the ringroll when the ring-roll tends to slow down. The sleeve carries a clutch-wheel, herein a ratchet-wheel 18. i1 gear wheel 19 mounted upon the sleeve 17 with capacity to turn freely thereon meshes with a carrier spurgear 20, mounted upon a convenient stud 21 in connection with the machine frameto feed the material a to the band-knife. In-

cidentally, the ring-roll shaft in rotating transmits rotary motion to gear 19 through gearing 22, 20. Through the gear-connections '14, 15, the sleeve 17 and ratchet-wheel 18 are rotated in the same direction as the gear 19 but at a little slower angular speed. Wheel 19 carries a spring-pressed dog or pawl 23 which plays against the forwardlyfacing teeth of the ratchet-wheel, but so long as wheel 19 turns faster than the ratchet-wheel the said dog or pawl draws idly along the backs of the said teeth and drops from one to another. When however the ring-roll and its shaft lag in speed and the speed of wheel 19 reduces in consequence, the relatively greater speed of ratchet-wheel 18 causes one of its teeth to engage with the dog or pawl, and the ratchet-clutch becomes operative for the time being to transmit movement to ring-roll shaft 10 through gearing 19, 20, 22, to thereby help the frictional driving action of the rubber roll in turning the ring-roll shaft and rings.

To enable the rubber roll 4- to be lowered, and subsequently raisedagain to its normal working position, without involving disengagement of the gear 1 1 from the gear 15, I mount the shaft or journals of said roll in bearings on arms or levers 2 1, one of which is shown in Fig. 1, that are mounted on pivots 2 1* located in line with the stud 16. Consequently, when the roll is moved down or up again it travels concentrically with the said stud, so that the relations ofthe intermeshing teeth of the said gears 14, 15, are not disturbed. The said teeth are not separated or withdrawn from interengagement as the rubber roll is moved downward, and consequently they remain in proper mesh as the said roll is raised into place again. For convenience in operating the said arms or levers, each thereof has engaged therewith one end of a rod 25 provided with an eccentric strap fitting an eccentric 26 upon a rockshaft 27 mounted in bearings in the machine'frame. A convenient handle 28 upon this rockshaft enables it to be turned for the purpose of shifting the rubber roll from one position to the other, and a clamping bolt 29 in connection with said handle and working in a segmental slot 30 in a fixed stand 31 enables the handle to be fixed to hold the rubber roll in the desired adjusted position.

The devices last described facilitate the lowering of the rubber roll in the handling of'leather having thickneck portions, for. the passage of the thick neck portion.

Thereby the increased thicknessof the latter is accommodated. In this lowering of the rubber rolllit is" accomp'aniedby the respective ring-sections of the ring-roll, but the gage-roll 3 retains its p'osition' in order that the upper portion of the leather which is being split may remain of uniform thickness.

I claim as my invention 1. In a splitting machine, in combination, a rubber-roll, a ring-roll shaft, a series of ring-sections mounted upon said shaft and driven by surface-contact with said rubber roll, and clutch-connections by which driving relations with play or lost motion are,

established between the said shaft and the said sections comprising a series of clutchcollars adjustably fixed upon said shaft and inclosed within said ring-sections with clearance permitting diametrical play of the' individual ring-sections, said ring-sections and olutch-collars respectively having fixed interengaging portions adapted to slide upon one another.

2. In a ring-roll, in combination, a ringroll shaft, a series of ring-sections radiallymovable thereon, and a series of clutchcollars mounted on said shaft, establishing driving relations between shaft and ringsections, and adjustable lengthwise upon the shaft in unison with the ring-sections.

3. In a ring-roll, in combination, a ringroll shaft, a series of ring-sections radiallymovable thereon, and a series of clutchcollars mounted on said shaft, spacing said ring-sections along the shaft, and establishing driving relations between shaft and ring-sections. v

4. In a ring-roll, in combination, a ringroll' shaft, a series of ring-sections radially movable thereon, and a series of clutch-collars keyed to said shaft, inclosed within said ring-sections, laterally contacting with the ring-sections and thereby positioning them, and loosely establishing driving relations between shaft and ring-sections.

5. In a splitting machine, in combination, a knife, a gage, a ring-roll, a rubber roll supporting the ring-sections, a gear carried by the rubber roll, a gear engaged and driven ative to the knife and gage to suit the thickness of stock operated upon.

6. In a splitting machine, in combination, a knife, a gage, a ring-roll, a rubber roll supporting the ring-sections, a gear carried by the rubber roll, a gear engaged and driven by the rubber-roll gear, gearing between, said driven gear andthe ring-r011 In testimony whereof I afiix my signature rslglaft, 3nd. ab support for the rublli er roll in presence oftwo Witnesses. a, apte :to e swung concentrica With T said driven gear to adjustuthe rubbir r011 DANIEL O BRIE} 5 and theringrsectionsrelative to the knife Vitnesses:

and. gageto suit thethickness of stock CHAS. F. RANDALL, operated; upon. ELLEN 0. SPRING.

tcepi eseot'thisi patent may be obtained for fivecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

